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It is easy to become disillusioned by South Africa’s alarmingly high youth unemployment rate — almost 61% for those aged 15-24 and about 46% for those aged 15-34, according to Stats SA. But young people may need to expand their search beyond permanent roles.“Opportunities do exist, but young people will not find them by waiting for vacancies to appear,” says Lorraine Ntuli, development manager at Oxyon People Solutions.“Using a wider range of channels, actively engaging directly with employers and recruiters, and remaining open to workplace opportunities outside of permanent employment can help build experience and create longer-term career paths.” She advises:Do not focus only on permanent roles, as employers use learnerships, contract roles and workplace programmes to recruit and develop talent;Learnerships, workplace programmes and temporary employment can provide young people with the workplace experience many employers are looking for;Make yourself visible to potential employers, both in real life, such as at industry expos and career events, and online, such as with an up-to-date LinkedIn profile; andApproach recruitment agencies and temporary employment services providers as they work directly with businesses across sectors.
